‘Vegetable Bowl’ has a beautiful town hall
VILLASIS – In observance of its 200th foundation day on January 19 next year, overseas Villasinians have gifted the town, the “Vegetable Bowl of Pangasinan”, with an impressive and imposing municipal hall.
Mayor Nonato Abrenica led local officials last December 4 in acknowledging the gift during the soft opening of the building, considered as home to the 55,000 local townsfolk and about 160 employees.
President Gloria Arroyo has been invited as guest of honor for the celebration of the 200th year foundation day of this town.
Observers believe the funding of the town hall’s construction can serve as a model for other local government units to emulate instead of resorting to loans or waiting in vain for politicians’ promises for fund assistance.
Abrenica told The PUNCH that a great part of the funding for the construction was sourced mainly from the Search for Miss Villasis, a traditional part of their town fiesta.
The building, with a floor area of 1,700 sq.meters surrounded with transparent glass doors in all its air-conditioned offices, only cost P13 million.
P8.5 million was from the popularity contests in 2004 to 2006. (In 2006 alone, they had a net income of P6.5 million). The remaining P4.5 million was sourced out from the local funds.
Abrenica said.” This is the fruit of the deep sense of involvement of all Villasinians here and abroad”. He said some mayors could not believe he could build a beautiful building with such a small budget.
“This is a dream come true and everybody contributed to the realization of this dream”, Abrenica said.
“Ngayon hindi na tayo KSP (Kulang sa Pansin) kasi lahat napapalingon sa ating munisipyo,” Abrenica said.
Vice Mayor Roderick Mina beamed with pride knowing that people who pass by his town will now remember it as having “the most beautiful town hall in (eastern) Pangasinan”.
The mayor said he did not have difficulty convincing his townmates based abroad when he assumed as mayor in 2001 to support the town’s popularity contest because they were told how the money would be spent.
“We have proven once again that if there is unity, many things can be achieved,” Abrenica said. — EVA
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